The science behind what makes our planet's temperature rise is pretty straightforward. Pollutants like soot and greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide trap heat within the earth's atmosphere, the global average surface temperature goes up, ice caps melt, sea levels rise and extreme weather events become even more extreme.However, American college students are coming with with some of the coolest ways to battle climate change and clean up domestic energy production.SEE ALSO: 4 Ways You Can Make a Real Impact to Slow Climate Change

From earning rewards while tracking your energy consumption to recharging your battery with a run, here are six projects giving a greener future the old college try.1. REECycleRecycling rare earth elements to save energy and make moneyEnding the United States' dependence on fossil fuels is easier said than done. But REECycle, a process developed by students at the University of Houston, might make fueling the clean, green break from oil, coal and natural gas easier.Efficient electric motors and wind turbines depend on neomagnets made from neodymium and dysprosium, two rare earth elements (REE) that are difficult to find and harmful to mine. However, REECycle has developed a way of reclaiming these elements from trashed electronics, and then reselling them for profit.The process goes like this: REECycle removes the copper plating from the products, dissolves the neodymium and dysprosium in a solvent, ditches the leftover metals and then filters the REEs out to sell them to manufacturers. This, in turn, limits the need for freshly mined REEs, makes it easier and cheaper to produce efficient energy generators, and creates a financial incentive to do something good for the environment — something oil companies rarely have unless a major spill happens.To top it all off, less fossil fuel usage can lead to less dependence on foreign oil and more investment in domestic sources of clean energy.2. KAir BatteryAn energy efficient potassium-oxygen battery

If you think fruit-powered batteries are cool, this invention out of Ohio State University might be the cream of the crop.The KAir battery uses the potassium commonly found in bananas as one-half of a 98% energy efficient battery. Potassium — "K" on the periodic table — makes up the negatively-charged anode side of the battery. The positively-charged diode is porous, oxygen-rich carbon, which pulls in more oxygen from the air as the battery is used to make potassium oxide (KO2).When the battery gets charged, the KO2 breaks down to its original components, restoring what was lost during usage. This process makes the battery more energy efficient, and its non-toxic materials make it cheaper and easier to produce than other batteries.3. Meter GeniusTracking home energy consumption and earning discountsYour electric company will tell you how much energy you're using, but with MeterGenius, you can track your consumption in real time, and get tips on how to save energy and money based on your specific energy usage.The platform was developed by a team of students at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, along with graduate and doctoral students at the university's engineering school. MeterGenius also gives the user several incentives to save energy beyond saving money — it lets you compare how much energy and water you're using to how much your neighbors are (if they also use the platform), adding a little friendly competition to environmental conservation.If contests aren't your thing, you can still earn reward points that can be redeemed for bill discounts. The one caveat is that the platform will only be offered to those who get their electricity from retail suppliers in deregulated districts, which restricts MeterGenius to 16 states.SEE ALSO: 10 Innovations That Improved the World in 2013

4. California Wave Power TechnologiesUsing a carpet on the ocean floor to harness wave energyAnyone who's ever been thrashed by a wave at the beach can tell you how powerful the ocean can be. A team of professors at the University of California, Berkeley have created a flexible seabed carpet that harnesses the ocean's power to create hydraulic pressure.The carpet sits on double-acting pumps, and as the carpet moves with the rhythm of the ocean, the pumps are compressed, sending hydraulic pressure through a series of pipes to an offshore power plant. This pressure can used to run generators or turbines, or even used for clean water.The energy is incredibly dense, too: Just 10 meters of ocean floor covered by the carpet can produce the same amount of energy as a soccer field covered in solar panels, according to the team's calculations.

Some projects try to change how we use energy, but Energy Internet would revolutionize how we get it. This project from the Georgia Institute of Technology wants to model energy distribution after the Internet, creating a decentralized network of networks, instead of a hierarchical system of transportation.This would allow energy consumers and producers to send and receive just enough energy to satisfy needs, and make it easier for sources of renewable energy to integrate into the grid at large. It would also require less energy to be produced — which would help limit harmful emissions — and shift more of that load onto the shoulders of clean energy producers.6. myPowerExercising to charge your phoneWalking or biking to a destination instead of driving is one way to limit your personal carbon emissions, but now, a workout can also help you save energy and charge your phone battery.Students at Northwestern University developed a device that uses the kinetic energy you expend while exercising to charge your phone. The inventors claim 10,000 steps and either a 45-minute run or 60-minute bike ride will give your phone an extra six hours of battery life, while ditching the extra cardio and sticking to the walking will give it three.While the running you do to power your device is longer than sprinting across the room to grab your charger, you'll be saving stress and electricity one step at a time.

The Department of Energy will award $17,500 in prizes for the best designs that maximize the potential of our open energy data resources and personal energy data available in the Green Button format. Use information and graphic design, and your own creativity to increase the transparency, usability and value of the featured data for a clean, secure and reliable energy future.

M37, out of Lawrence-Berkeley National Lab, is seeking five top innovators to join M37's founding cohort. Acceptance into the program offers:

An M37 Project Leader position at Berkeley Lab with full employee benefits (maximum five year term)

$500k of seed funding over two years to crystallize your vision and secure additional project support

A process and support network to aid in technology development and in evaluating optimal partners and path to impact

Additional program help with proposal writing, project management, partnerships, and strategy

M37 Project Leaders will have a unique mandate for high operational speed and collaboration across the Berkeley Lab ecosystem. Their explicit goal is to develop technologies for successful transition out of the Lab by the end of their term. Seed funding is intended to cover the Project Leader's salary and preliminary project expenses.Projects must have clear end-of-term objectives that position technologies for long term impact on Berkeley Lab and the Department of Energy's mission to create reliable, clean, and affordable energy solutions.

Submit the application materials by August 15, 2014 to receive consideration in the first round of reviews. More info via Gigaom or at the M37 Website

Our friends at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute are now accepting applications for its Fall 2014 Clean Energy Leadership Institiute Fellowship. The Fellowship is a highly competitive 14-week training program for young professionals who exhibit strong leadership potential and are committed to advancing the clean energy economy. Applications are being accepted for one more week until August 3, 2014.Applicants must possess the following characteristics:

Passion for the future of clean energy and conviction that a new generation of leaders is necessary to advance the transition to a clean energy economy

Aspiration to build a successful career developing innovative solutions and to gain a deep understanding of the energy policy, regulatory and innovation landscapes

Belief in the value of a strong and trusted community for furthering personal and professional goals

The most recent Fellowship program had more than 85 applicants for just 25 slots. For more information about the Fellowship Application as well as an FAQ, click here.Applicants must meet the following criteria:

You must submit your application by August, 3rd, 2014

You must reside in the Washington D.C. area for the entire Fellowship (Sept. - Dec. 2014)

You must be able to attend New Fellow Orientation on Saturday, September 13, 2014 (All Day)

If selected for an interview, you must attend the interview

Less than 6 years of professional experience in the clean energy industry

If you submit one of the winning ideas, you’ll be able to present it before government officials, business executives, NGO leaders and scientists who can help move proposals toward implementation, as well as share it at an MIT conference this November, where a $10,000 Grand Prize will be awarded.

Top proposals in the Youth action contest will be reviewed by former heads of state, Mary Robinson (former President of Ireland) and Gro Harlem Brundtland (former Prime Minister of Norway).